NEWS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 10998, 6 September 1921, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

As a consequence of trade depression prevalent in Japan, the number of emigrants tends to increase. It is expected that during the present year there will be about 10,001) emigrants—--3000 to Brazil, 2000 to Peru, 1500 to Philippine Islands, 100 to Australasia.and mare than 2000 to other parts of the world.

In reply to a vote of thanks accorded him for Iris address at a meeting of the Otago Educational Institute, Mr W. Davidson stated that the work which lie had done for the institute had been amongst the most pleasant of his life. When he looked back on what tho institute had accomplished he wondered how any teacher could fail to become a member.

“You have an excellent telegraph service in New Zealand,’’ said Lord Northeliffe, in the course of an interview. “Telegrams, as you know, are the bane of a public man’s life. During my stay in New Zealand I have received many messages from various parts ol the Dominion, as well as from Great Britain and Australia, and there has not been a single mistake. Perhaps the efficiency of the service may be partly due to these difficult Maori names, which perplex me so much.’’

Anewering criticism on the proposed Federal tariff on agricultural machinery, Senator Russell replied that every article in the item was made in Australia. He regretted that the talk of superiority of imported articles, which was common in Australia for many years, was still heard. On every attempt to establish secondary industries it was said that it was wanted to tax the farmer. In eighty example© that he could quote, prices in New Zeland under free trade on various classes of agricultural machinery were higher than in Australia.

Spoken to in regard to the increase of Id per lb in the price of butter, Dunedin suppliers pointed out that actually the public was securing supplies at 2d per lb cheaper than a few days ago. During the last two years the Government—that is, the people—had spent about £1,000,000 in subsidy. Thus subsidy was 2d per lb, and it had been costing the Government at least another id per lb to administer the payment, etc. The latest Home quotation for butter was equivalent to 2s 2ifd per lb, f.o.b. It cost a fraction over Id per lb for the packing and distribution of tho local supply.

In an article describing the journey of the North-South Railway Commission through the Northern Territory, the special correspondent of the “Sydney Morning Herald” says:—“On Sunday morning we left Charlotte Waters and ran to New Crown Point, one of tho stations of the Crown Pastoral Company, where we stayed for an hour before continuing to Old Crown, a few mile© further off. While on this stretch.- we encountered a solitary swaggie, who told us he had walked from Lake Nash, near the Queensland border, a distance of about 1200 miles. He looked fit and well, and refused anything in the nature of food or smoke© that we could offer him. ‘You look pretty happy after your long and lonely tramp,’ remarked one of the party. ‘Well, one does not want to 'keep his smile in cold storage these hal’d times,’ was tho cheery response, a© ho took up his swag and continued on hie lonely way.”

The total rainfall at Foxton during August was 4.30 inches.

A big American syndicate is contemplating exploiting the mineral resources of the Nelson district.

Tho Hawke’s Bay A. and P. Association has approved of tile proposal to hold a Royal Show in the Dominion. A substantial-looking groyne has been constructed in the Tardierenikau river above the new bridge. Tlie Greytown cheese factory is receiving 21,3101 b of milk daily, with a fast-increasing supply. The aerial mail service between Ghristc'mircli and Blenheim is reported to have been postponed indefinitely. Forty-four men applied for work at the Government Labour Bureau in Auckland last week. Of the total, 15 were placed in positions, most of them on farms in different parts of the province. A large framed photograph of liio yacht, Heather, which won the Sanders ■Memorial Cup at Auckland against Viscount Jellicoe’s Iron Duke, lias been presented to the Dunedin City Council by Mr W. J. P. McCulloch. July 28th last was the centenary of tlie separation of Peru from Spain, to become an independent republic. In commemoration of the event there were several celebrations in Lima, amongst them an International Centenary Exhibition. The dog fiend is again at work in Tiniaru, two very valuable working sheep dags having been poisoned last week. A short time aigo several'dogs were poisoned in the same locality as that in which the two dogs now referred to met their death. Much amusement was caused over tho comparative prices realised for sheep aud fowls at a • -recent clearing sale in tlie Fortrose district (says the Wyndliam “Herald”). While 12s 3d to 19s were the prices offered for sheep, fowls sold at up to 14s 6d, and 41 birds brought tlie extraordinary sum of £22 Bs. One lot of six old fowls went for 11s 6d, and the average price for the rest was about 12s 6d each. Staff officers in charge of regimental districts arc being instructed to maintain the rolls of trainees on the noneffective list, also that all transfers are to be carried out purely as between regimental districts. The staff officers in charge of regimental districts are to utilise the services of area officers, adjutants, and sub-area officers to enable them to recover Government property from, and to keep in touch with, trainees on the non-effec-tive list. “When I tell you that men and women have to queue for an hour at the labour bureaux to sign the unemployment book, you can gue6s how bad the industrial situation is here,” writes a New Zealander now resident in London, in the course of a letter received yesterday “In some trades a decrease in wages has commenced. At the same time, rents have increased. My husband has had a decrease in wages of 13s per week, commencing last week; the same week our rent went up to 14© 2d. Our pre-war rent was 9s 6d per week.”

No fewer than five inquests have yet •to bo ■ completed in Auckland. The inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of Francis Edward Jew, who was murdered at Arolrhill on Saturday, July 16th, which was formally opened on July 18th,. is to be continued on Soptemixu’ 12th. The other four are those concerning the deaths of JMr E. J. Hammond and Mr A. E. Skelton, the dates of which 'have not yet been fixed, and of Mr James McGrath, victim of the power-house accident, and Mr Mervyn Lloyd, boatswain of the Cecilia Sudden. Twenty-eight “wives” is the record of Germany’s most married man, who has just been run to earth by the Berlin police. Formerly a forester, ihe managed within a few months to entrap fourteen women with each of whom he went through, a marriage ceremony, disappearing just afterwards with the dowry each brought him. .After a short term in prison, ho resumed his career, and in the last six months he managed to acquire the affections and property of another fourteen -women, sea oral of thorn widows. His matrimonial troubles mill now be settled in the Criminal Court. By opening four institutions in five days, Commissioner H. Hodder, Colonel Bray (property secretary), and Brigadier Colvin (editor of the “War Cry”), of the Salvation Army, established something in the nature of a record. They left Wellington last Wednesday week, and on the Thursday opened a new industrial home for men at Addington, Christchurch. On the Friday they opened a new wing of the Boys’ Home at Temuka, on the Saturday they performed a similar function at the new citadel, Oamaru, and on the Monday they opened a new home for girls at Anderson Bay, Dunedin. The landed cost of tea from all producing centres has shown a very sharp rise during tho past couple of months (say© the Sydney “Sun” of August 23rd). Common Ceylon tea, which could have been bought in the first Colombo sale in June at a landed price of 8(d, is now costing the Sydney importer 13d. Medium Ceylon broken Pekoe, which was Is 3d in June, is now Is Bd. Fine Ceylon tea has jumped from Is 6d to 2s 2d. The Indian market has advanced in about the same proportion, and in Java there is very little good tea available, as the most desirable crops have been sold up to the end of the year.

An American iboy of eleven, Horace Wade, of Los Angeles, California, has been interviewing Sir Gilbert Parker, the well-known English novelist, for an American paper. His description of the novelist may bo florid, but it is certainly remarkable for so young a boy. This is what he says:—“A full .round, .strong face of—let’s call it heroic cast, housed two keen, incisive, blue eyes that thrilled right through one; eye© for ever questioning, searching out deep secrets. A tousled heap of greyish-white hair rests on top of his head —not much, hut then no grass grow® on a busy .street.” It would be interesting to know what Sir Gilbert Parker thinks of this. “I believe the Hollanders would make millions out of our waste.” remarks an English writer visiting the Netherlands, in a letter to a Wellington friend. “The Dutch people as a whole are solid and stolid, and are hard-working, frugal, and thrifty. A man with a horse and cart calls every day at all the houses for potato peelings, vegetable refuse, and other rubbish; this is dumped into a barge and towed into the country to feed pigs. Can you imagine such a proceeding taking place in London P The Dutch have, of course, a reputation for cleanliness, and they certainly live up to it. They are up to date in their lighting arrangements, the cities being illuminated with electric light.’’

A lamb with six fully-developed legs was born at West Manrioeville a few days ago. The- rainfall registered at Palmers* ton North for the month of August was 6'. 16 inches. The dairying season is opening early this year. Already the Eltham company is manufacturing over two tons of butter per day. A wallet containing £lB and several private papers was stolen from a sleeping apartment in Pahiatua. last week, when the owner was away for a few hours. The Official Assignee at Palmerston North has wound up the bankrupt estates of John P. Dod<te, music-seller, Dannevirke, and Robert H. Howard, publican, "Woodville. A deputation from the Federated Tramway Employees’ Union is to wait upon the Minister for Public Works (the Hon. J. G. Coates), with regard to the new tramway regulations. Th'e Postal authorities have received advice from Melbourne that the s.s. Paloona sailed at 3 p.m. on the Ist instant for Bluff. She carries eleven bags of mail and thirty-one parcel receptaclce for Wellington. The Mayor of Dunedin (Mr J. S. Douglas) has received £lO from the Waitaki Dairy Company for the relief of married men out of work. He has also been handed lie from a hairdresser. Tlie last census showed that there were 3222 inhabited dwellings in Palmerston North, ICO9 in Feilding, 839 in Dannevirke, 259 in Woodville, 314 in Pahiatua, 36S in Foxtou, and 452in Levin. “Allen’s Folly,” as the temporary Defence Department offices (now the Land and Income Tax Offices), built partly over Whitmore street towards the close of the war, were promptly christened, is now being re-roofed in corrugated iron. The new rpof is rapidly approaching completion. Speaking of Australian polities, Mr T. K. Si dev, M.P., said, in the course of an interview, that although there were Labour Governments in power in New South Wales and Queensland, there was no suggestion that _ they would a-ot in any way unconstitutionally. Indeed-, there had 'been official statements that they would not do so. Regarding the Maori population of the Dominion, preliminary figures show the Maori population to have increased from 49,776 in 1916 to 52,554 in 1921. The latter figure includes 3055 halfcastee living as Maoris. Of the total Maori population, 50,476 (males 26,672; females 23,804) are located in the North Island, and 2078 (males 1090, females 988) in the Bouth Island

After an astonishing reference to New Zealand as a reformed convict colony, the American periodical ‘‘Literary Digest” jumps to the other extreme: —“New Zealand has been accused of similar colonial forbears; but the island nation was settled in large part by younger sons of the English nobility, and boasts one of the purplest blooded population, in the world.” It is officially stated tfiat an increase in population is disclosed in the population of the Cook and other annexed Pacific islands. The census of 1916 showed these islands to have a total of 12,797 inhabitants, and preliminary figures for the census of ly2l give a total of 13,269. This number includes 363 Europeans, as compared with 317 m 1916. Bishop Richards, at his welcome home “social” in Dunedin, exhibited an ancient Roman tile, which, he said, had been discovered during some excavations at St. Augustine’s,,Canterbury (England), being part of a church, the building of winch had been begun in 598 A.D., and completed in 613. He proposed handing the tile over to the chapter, and suggested that it be placed somewhere in the" cathedral, thus marking the continuity between the church of ancient times and that of the present day. Supplies of sugar are not too plentiful on the .local market (states the “Otago Daily Times”), merchants feeling disinclined to stock up until they know the new' prices fixed by the Government under the new contract with the Colonial Sugar Company. Merchants are paying £47 per ton, f.0.b., Auckland, at present, and it is announced by the Board of Trade that there will be no reduction in this price until November. Local merchants state that Java first grade sugar, equal to the best sugar manufactured by the Colonial Sugar Company, can be purchased for £37. During the month of July, at the Dunedin Publio Library, 17,544 persons attended the newspaper and magazine rooms, and 2833 the'reference library, while last month 18,371 readers mads use of the newspaper, and 2731 of the reference room. For the month of August of last year 18,550 attended these departments, 21,102 making use of them last month. Tire lending department issued 9238 volumes, and the juvenile department 2433 books, the total issue for August being 23,410, an average of 897 books daily. Books added in all the departments totalled 47 for the month, the complete stock in the library numbering 36,409. A Samoan who brought ashore at Apia “two bottles of the best,” had them taken from him, and he was mulcted in the sum of £25. A member of the crew of the s.s. Tofua, who had made a statutory declaration that he had no alcohol on board, was proved to bo the owner of two cases of whisky. He, too, had to pay a fine of £25. His experience should be noted by everyone, says the “Samoan Times,” for the fact is not as well known as it should be that the making of a false declaration as to non-possession of alcohol, even though the owner of the alcohol does not attempt to bring it ashore, is a statutory offence punishable by fine up to £IOO.

Professor Macmillan Brown found Lord Northcliffe, with whom he travelled on the Makura, obsessed with the idea that war between Japan and the United States was coming near. “I assured him,” Professor Macmillan Brown says, “that I did not think it would come for a century at least. My reasons are that Japan is really governed by the Elder Statesmen—the Genro. They are the wisest men in naval, military, and financial matters in Japan, and they know very well that if they go to war with the "United States, not merely the American money market, but all money markets, will be closed to them; they also know that war of that sort would mean enormous expenditure—ten times, a hundred times, greater than Japan oan now afford. Japan is a poor country —it has little coal (most of it is lignite), and almost no iron ore. Japan hopes to exploit China; but it will take Japan a century or .two, if ever it succeeds in its exploitation of China, to gain a financial position that would warrant it to enter into a world war.”